The Game: Young Blood
by MessengerOfDreams
Summary: A heartfelt tribute to Mousemaster42's The Game! I've always been behind a glass wall, peering in on the others enjoying their life in the mansion, admiring their adventures, letting my imagination run free with the sight of them, never venturing for myself.


**A/N I figure with all the troll wars going on we could use a piece that is pacifying and peaceful, upbeat. I'm absolutely obsessed with The Naked and Famous' song _Young Blood_ and so I'm just gonna write a short piece with it as influence. I'd write a songfic, but I didn't really schedule a tar and feathering. Just... play it in the background, because this is really just capturing a moment in time.**

**E-yeah-e-yeah-e-yeah e-yeah.**

**Also, it should be noted that this is a gift fic that is part of The Game. And really, it wasn't intended at first. But whenever I tried to think of teens/young adults hanging out in a Smash Bros setting, all I could think of was everyone from the game. So I borrowed them in order to pay tribute to MouseMaster42. :D This isn't necessarily as a thanks for the contest- that'll probably be something else- but for The Game. Keep it up!**

**A/N I own nothing, I regret nothing, I let them forget nothing.**

Today I took it to walk down the hall, through the greenhouse, The Champion's Shrine, another hallway, through the game room, past the children's play room, through another hallway, through the large living room, through the study, through another hallway, and then open the door to the back of the mansion.

On sunny days like these, usually everyone's outside. Where I come from, though, sun's not exactly a common sight, so it usually takes some coaxing to take my pink parka off in exchange for summer clothes. I'm still not entirely comfortable out of my parka, though, so I slip on a baggy pair of pants and a cloth pink long sleeve shirt, let my hair down to its normal shoulder length, and quietly slip into the backyard.

We actually have quite a lovely backyard. It's nice and green, and to its credit the grass is not AstroTurf. There are some loose plants built around. However, the backyard wasn't really built for looks, but for thirty-plus hectic, active and occasionally violent people of all ages, sizes, mentalities and species. This place is nothing if not the ultimate melting pot.

Immediately I see that everyone is out here. Literally, everyone. I don't know how I missed the utter emptiness of the mansion. Maybe I was embracing it. I have a notion to go back into the mansion and enjoy the lack of people now that I'm fully aware of it. Let my imagination run wild. Roam the many halls with no one there to watch me.

But something is urging me outside to walk through the yard and just... be. I'm never a fan of crowds, not much more so of people, unlike my brother Popo. I've always been to nervous of failure- that I will never be able to truly enjoy myself away from my wall of glass, from just peering in on the others. I fear that I will not be truly accepted here- even at the moment I am just the expendable Ice Climber.

Yet... I just have a feeling that I should be here. So I follow it. I always trust my instincts. Consider it a gift or a flaw; your choice. I still never know what to call it.

I notice Snake is on the patio I'm hesitantly walking on to get to the path outside. He's tinkering with his chess set, no one to play him. I always was intrigued by the soldier of many years' experience who enjoyed games such as Chess more than his explosives. I suppose I could play him, but I have a feeling that would be taking the easy way out. No, I need to go out into the actual yard.

I shift my gaze off of him and also pay heed to some of the older adults trading conversation at the table; namely, Captain Falcon, Peach, Luigi and Meta Knight- if you could consider him an adult. I always imagined him to be an absolute mystery- no age, no form, no true source. Just a soul, a cape, a sword and a mission.

My imagination enthralls me sometimes.

As I take my first few steps on the path, I see that Red, at least I think that's his name, and Pit are chasing after Pikachu frantically. On a double take, I notice that Pikachu itself is chasing after Squirtle, who is chasing after no one except the ever-escaping throes of freedom. Does Squirtle enjoy being a pet, or is he always looking for an escape? Is Pikachu trying to help Red keep guard on him to keep him from escaping? This scene intrigues me, and so I stand still, watching, looking quite impolite, I presume.

Around fifteen feet ahead, one of the younger staff, I believe it is Nya, drops her papers and drops to the ground in order to grab and lift Squirtle up off the ground. Escaping prisoner caught? I wonder.

No, I'd come to find that Pikachu was jumping up towards Squirtle, trying to catch the frightened turtle-esque creature even though he has already been caught. Nya strokes Squirtle's head, causing him to smile-at least I think, it looks like it. I slowly walk closer to get a better view of the situation.

I know I'm snooping, but everything piques my interest around here. I mean, back where I came from it wasn't nearly as... cosmic as it is here. It's absolutely dimension-shattering, boundary-breaking, anything is possible, and everything that gets done around here is somewhat remarkable. But it's all so overwhelming for me, the small, five foot village girl with big dreams and a wild imagination that still never could have came up with all of this.

I notice that Squirtle is back in Red's arms, and Red is embracing it like it was his own. One of his most endearing qualities; even though I can weave a tale of escaping Pokemon, you have to accredit Red with being a very good caretaker. He leans down towards an irritated if not humbled Pikachu and gives him a frowning talk, but not chastising it physically. The mouse sneaks off and Red faces Nya, a blush on his face. He's actually quite cute; I had a passing crush on him once, a crush that just faded away because I guess it wasn't the crush, you know?

Either way, Red seems to have some sort of relationship with Nya, because they exchange a few awkward words with Red constantly scratching the back of his neck. Pit just has this smirk on his face, one that reads 'I can't wait to tease you about this later' like a neon sign. Seeing as the two are good friends, I wouldn't put it past him. Eventually Nya leaves with an eager wave, scooping her pile of papers up in one deft swoop, and she's out of sight. I wonder if she reciprocates Red's relatively obvious feelings for her- she seemed just as red and awkward. I hope so. Red deserves a girl like her. Immediately, Pit punches Quincy in the arm and calls him, I believe, "player." Red turns, well, red, and shoves him aside, causing Pit to laugh.

I start to feel guilty for intruding on a moment like this and start to blunder along the trail, looking for someone else. A bit down the trail, I notice that Prince Marth and Samus sit on a bench towards the side. It's similar to a common park bench, wooden and eroded by months of rain, but they exude enough warmth to make it seem welcoming. Unfortunately, I have a feeling it will go away as soon as they step up and it will just become another boring, aged bench, just like all the rest, and I will have no desire to sit on it as lonely, observant, artistic old me. Even with all the ideas in the world I can't keep myself company.

I don't believe they have officially hit it off, but I can see it in Marth's gaze. There's that spastic hesitation there, that seems to be asking "is now the time? Is now when I should act?" I can see him lean down towards the bounty hunter leaning on his shoulder face first when she isn't looking, spaced off in her thoughts that could be similar to his, for his sake I hope they are. But he draws away, looking confused, defeated.

I wish that someone could look that way about me. It sounds sappy, I know, but I know if I noticed someone acting the way he does to her towards me, I'd probably lean in for the kiss first. It's just so beautiful to see. It's amazing, how a born-and-raised swordfighter prince and a lonely, spacebound bounty hunter could meet each other and forge such a barrier blasting bond. I really wish them well. But for now I stumble along, before they know I've intruded on their romantic moment as well. I can't help it, though. Those moments enchant me.

I walk down until I get into a stretch of tall field, and plop down, immersing myself in the three-feet-tall blades of grass, wild wheat and the occasional snapdragon. I lie on my back, until I am lost within the wildlife, faded and invisible as I always make myself.

I let my racing, nagging thoughts run wild for a bit. The always-present but never overwhelming sense of emptiness, purposelessness fills me up, breaking the metaphorical boundary that I thought I had set up between us.

I know that I have so much potential, so much imagination. I am a good person, perhaps a beautiful persons. But here I am, alone, as usual, too scared to do anything or take any leaps. I need something, someone, even if myself, to break the glass walls I had set up between myself and the world.

And that's when the football hits me in the face.

After it bounces off of my nose, causing a breathless "oomph!" to emit from me, I scramble onto my feet, holding my tweaked nose in one hand and gaining balance in another. Urgently, I searched for the football and picked it up, and then swerve around shouting "Um... who threw this?"

"Over here!" I hear a young man shout at me. I trail his voice, spinning until I am facing Ike, the lively spiky-haired swordsman, who is ten feet and one chasm of pavement away from me in a smaller grass field. I blush and toss the football over to him like I always noticed football players did.

He catches it with an impressed smile. I notice that Sheik is right behind him, and she punches Ike in the shoulder, quipping in her smooth leather voice "Nice job, Holmes, you almost knocked the girl out. How is it you're still single?"

He raises an eyebrow smoothly, replying "I don't know," a teasing twinkle in his eye. I can't help but giggle against my best judgment.

Our returning smasher from Melee, Roy, breaks the two up, and I can see jealousy all but turn his eyes from calm blue to a green ember. I feel awkward for being a witness to their love triangle, and so I stumble back as Ike gives Roy an incredulous look, and Sheik distances herself from the swordfighters.

In an attempt to turn the situation around, he looks towards me and calls "Yo! Over there- Nana, right?"

I'm shocked and honored, blushing with a half-smile, that he knew my name. No one ever addresses me by my name, it seems. I'm usually just the girl Ice Climber, the one who falls off the stage but doesn't count as a loss. The expendable one. Still somewhat caught off guard, I reply "Um... yes, Ike?"

"You've got a killer throw!" he grins. "You wanna play with us? You'd be great!"

That's when the rock first comes in contact with the glass wall. Immediately I start debating the idea at rapid fire. I'm not too far off of their age group despite my height, but I know how tight-knit they are. And I would feel so out of place there, the small, shy mountain climber with the strong, attractive young warriors and royalty.

But I realize that I want to be more than just part of the scenery. I want to be chasing after the unruly Pokemon and teasing a friend over his romantic goofs. I want to sit on the patio and talk with friends about the goings-on of the mansion. I want to sit on the corroded bench with someone I love, waiting to make a move and dismiss our fears. And it's that notion that causes me to nod and reply clumsily "Uh, sure! If you want!"

"Of course! Love to have ya!" he replied with a chuckle. I dash across the concrete gap, no longer content with chasing pavements but instead running through the glass wall keeping me away from a good time.

Ike smiled, clapping me on the shoulder. I feel grateful for his amiable presence and smile back. I notice Link coming up with Zelda just behind. I find it amusing that Zelda has painted some black war paint lines on her face, sharply contrasting her flowing purple skirt and crystal bodice. Even in casual affairs like this where she's wearing sport equipped paint markings she still looks like a gorgeous royal. And yet, they still want my company. Am I more than I thought? Do I have them too high in standard?

Does it even matter? They feel the way I feel; I recognize their intent and their ways because they are mine as well at times. I guess that rich or poor, royal or villager, swordsman or Pokemon trainer, we all have young blood coursing through our veins. Through our hearts.

"Hah, nice paint, Zelda!" Ike laughed lightheartedly.

"Thanks," she replied, on the fence with how to react. "I... thought it'd be a... festive way to ask if I could play."

"Ah, you could have just asked," Roy replied with an eyebrow raise. "I mean, you don't see Nana over here with a neon sign and a song and dance."

I notice that he has addressed and therefore shifted attention over to me and so I blink to get my attention focused on the princess, flashing a nervous smile.

She greets me warmly. "Hello, Nana!" she smiles. "It's good to have you!" Link nods in agreement, reaching out to shake my hand. He then turns over to Marth and Samus, still on the bench, and asks "They in?"

"They in?" Ike chuckles. "Bah, the only thing they're into is each other. Let them mush it out; they're missing out, though."

"I dunno," I find myself interjecting. It comes naturally. "I think it's genuinely kind of sweet, the two of them."

Sheik notices that I've turned red from talking and puts a hand on my shoulder- I find that even in my short height I still stand up to her chin, and she's quite tall. A comforting thought.

She giggles- it's not high pitched or overly girlish, instead rather deep and coming from a more internal source but it conveys the same kind of feeling. "Let them have their moments," she says fondly. "They'll come to treasure them more than anything." It's nice to see that I've underestimated the girl- her piercing red eyes hold more warmth than I had imagined.

Roy interjects. "All this romance crap is boring me! Let's get this started already!" Sheik rolls her eyes and deliberately crosses to the other side of the field with Link and Zelda, war paint still glistening in the light as a contrast.

Ike calls me over. "You're on my team!" he declares. "What with that great pitching arm and all." This is a comfortable enough proposition for me, and I walk over to the right side of Roy, giving him a brief, comforting clap on the shoulder like Ike does to everyone else. He blinks and looks at me for a split second. I hope he saw my smile.

"So... remind me how exactly we play football?" I blush, worried that this may change things. Ike just laughs and says "Ah, just try and help us get the ball over to their side and beat the hell out of anyone who tries to stop you."

I gulp, almost dropping to the ground.

"Fortunately, we're playing catch," he replies with a wink. I instantly breathe out and watch, prepared, as Ike shouts "Let's go!" and tosses the ball into the air towards Link.

It's that moment, the symbolic toss that kicks off the game, that I really feel my life start to kick into high gear. I'm no longer on the outside, looking at everyone else's story. After all, if you wanna carve your own happy ending, you've got to get there first.

**A/N This... could possibly be my favorite work yet. I've never done a full length fic from Nana's perspective, and I've always wanted to, mostly thanks to the majestic work _Speak Now! _By , the true winner of Jimbo's contest. And I think I did it good.**

**I'm pretty sure my story didn't keep time to the song like I originally planned, cause it's too long and I'm such a fast reader I'm pretty sure I'm off on you guys- no offense, I just read waaay too fast. But hey, I did a good job, I think. I'm happy with it.**

**I'm not connecting this to the Game for attention for myself, really. More for the Game itself.**

**I just really think that MouseMaster did a very good job with her fic, even if I didn't see it at first because I was looking for the outright Oscarbait. :P A genre I still love (and specialize in) but really, The Game was an inspiration and perhaps one of the best works on the site. I just wanted to pay tribute. :) If Mousey ever makes it to a computer in the near future, hats off to you! :D**

**Either way, I hope you enjoyed! :D And TwilightOkama... how's Nana and Donkey Kong sound in the ways of Unusual Friendship? :)**

**Yeah yeah yeah yeah!**

**MoD**


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